Sodium guide stars with high brightness are an important condition for accurate detection of atmospheric wavefront distortion. Studies have shown that the intensity of backward resonance fluorescence scattering of a sodium guide star is closely related to many factors such as atmospheric transmission efficiency, geomagnetic field, seasons, emission system parameters, receiving system parameters and pumping laser parameters. Pulsed sodium guide stars can effectively improve the signal-to-noise ratio of wavefront detection in adaptive optical systems. The return light intensity detection experiment for a pulsed sodium guide star is carried out based on pumping modes under various laser parameters. Based on the high-energy, multi-longitudinal mode, and hundred-microsecond pulsed sodium guide star laser pumped sodium layer in the atmosphere, a series of return light intensity data are obtained, which are in good agreement with the theoretical analysis results. The experimental results show that the precise control of the pumping spectral line is an important means to obtain the stable return light intensity of the sodium guide star, and the working mode of the sodium guide star based on the circularly polarized light pumping and double-line broadening pumping system is an effective way to efficiently excite the sodium layer atoms and obtain high brightness return light.